Post 82 wins state opener; faces Garner next

By Richard Walker

Published: Friday, July 26, 2013 at 05:11 PM.

Shelby will start either Ethan Carpenter (7-1) or Nick Hastings (6-1) in Saturday’s game as it pursues its first state title since 2001.

In Friday morning’s win, Seagle and Black had two hits apiece to lead Shelby’s nine-hit offense. Robbie Harrison had two of the five hits by Kernersville, which got seven innings from starter and loser Caleb Edwards.

WILSON – It took Shelby Post 82 ace right-hander Dustin Greene a couple of innings to get accustomed to the Fleming Stadium pitcher’s mound Friday morning.

Fortunately for Greene and Shelby, he did so quickly – and his offense responded to the only struggles he faced in an impressive 4-1 victory over Kernersville in Friday morning’s opener of the 2013 North Carolina state American Legion baseball tournament.

Kernersville (29-9) plays again Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in an elimination game against the loser of Friday’s 12:30 p.m. game between Randolph County and Lincoln County.

Greene went seven innings, getting stronger as he went, to pick up the victory that runs his record to 11-0 on the season. Reliever Phillip Black was just as impressive, retiring all six batters he faced (four by strikeout) for the save.

“I just had a tough time with the mound early on,” said Greene, who yielded five hits, five walks and one run while striking out two. “I couldn’t find my curveball the first couple of innings. I finally got comfortable about the third or fourth inning.”

Greene’s biggest struggle came when he yielded a one-out double and three walks – the last of them forcing in Kernersville’s lone run of the contest – in the second inning.

But before Shelby (or Greene) could be irritated at falling behind too long, Post 82 put forth what proved to be a decisive rally.

Jay Seagle’s leadoff single started the three-run uprising in the bottom of the second inning that included two bunts and two critical throwing errors by Kernersville.

Greene’s sacrifice bunt was fired wildly to second, leaving both Seagle and Greene safe. Then after Chandler Young singled in Seagle, Greene scored and Young moved all the way to third on a wild throw from the Kernersville catcher trying to throw out Young going to second base.

Black’s one-out RBI single closed the rally for Shelby.

“We played like we’ve played all year,” Post 82 assistant coach Steve Gold said. “When we get down, they feel like they have to answer. And we feel like we put pressure on the defense if we can get bunts down.”

The three runs were all the Shelby pitching would need, though Jackson Mims drove in an insurance run in the fourth with a two-out RBI double.

“It was huge for us to win this game,” said Greene, who in Monday’s 4-2 Area IV title game victory over Lincoln County became Shelby’s 15th 10-game, single-season winner in history. “They got the momentum with that early run and we took it back held on the rest of the game.”

Shelby will start either Ethan Carpenter (7-1) or Nick Hastings (6-1) in Saturday’s game as it pursues its first state title since 2001.

In Friday morning’s win, Seagle and Black had two hits apiece to lead Shelby’s nine-hit offense. Robbie Harrison had two of the five hits by Kernersville, which got seven innings from starter and loser Caleb Edwards.